Printing-press



'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BABCOCK, OF IIOMER, NEW YORK.

PRINTING-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BABoooK, of Homer, in the county ofCortland and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inPrintiiigPresses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l is a side elevation with the part-s in position for giving theimpression. Fig. 2 is a vertical section with the parts in position forfeeding the card or paper. Fig. 3 is a view of a portion detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention consists in supporting a bed, which vibratesin a line or arc perpendicular, or nearly perpendicularly to the planeof its face, upon two or more parallel radius-rods in such a manner thatthe bed shall remain parallel to the face of the platen in all portionsof its motion. Also, in giving a peculiar form to the distributingtable, in combination with a vibrating bed, and rollers which arecarried in the arc of a circle, whereby the rollers are kept at aboutthe same distance from their center of motion, during their passage overthe distributing table. Also, in a peculiar means of operating the cardmotion for liberating the cards after each impression.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation by the aid of thedrawings.

A is a frame of cast iron fitted to stand upon a table or other support,where it is secured by screws at each corner. Upon projections, a, atone end is fixed a platen, B, made adjustable thereon, by screws, b, andspring Zn, so as to vary the amount of impression. A blanket (notrepresented) is attached to the face of, B, by any suitable means, asare also guides (not represented) for guiding and supporting the cardsor paper to be printed.

C is the bed, upon which the type are placed. At the back of C arefirmly attached two arms D, D, which are connected by pivots al, CZ,with radius rods E, E. These radius rods are parallel and are of equallength, having their lower ends jointed to the frame A at the points e,e. This arrangement is such that the bed C may be 30,452, dated October23, 1860.

vibrated toward and from the platen B, and always maintain a positionparallel thereto. The radius rods E, E', being attachedy to the rigidiarms D, D', hold the bed stiiiy while the impression is being taken, andallows it to be vibrated to the proper position for inking the type,with little friction.

The means by which the bed receives its vibratory mot-ion are asfollows: In stand ards, a, on the frame A, a shaft G is hung so that itis free to rotate. Upon the middle of this shaft is fixed a lever H,forked at the end H with a pin l1, connecting theends of the fork. Theother end of H is formed into a. handle as represented. A link I ishinged to the center of the bed C, having a slot at the other end,through which the pin it passes, the link I extending between the twoforks of H. A spiral spring J attached to the radius rod E and the frameA, tends to draw the bed back into the position shown in Fig. 2. If nowthe lever H is forced down into the position shown in Fig. 1, the pin h,striking into the end of the slot in I, and the lat-ter together with H,form a progressive leverage, by which the bed is forced toward theplaten and an impression given. On lifting the lever H, the bed is drawnback by the act-ion of the spring J into the former position.

Upon the ends of the shaft Gr, outside of the frame, I attach two armsL, L, which are slotted at their outer ends to receive the inkingrollers M, M and a distributing roller N. These rollers are held intheir places, and drawn toward the shaft G by spring m, one on each ofthe arms L. These arms L, are keyed to the shaft G in such a relativeposition to the lever H, that when the latter is in the position shownin Fig. 1 or when the impression is being given, they are in nearly avertical position as represented, but when H is in the position shown inFig. 2 they are at such a position as to hold the rollers, M, M, at alittle distance below the form of type. The slot in the link I is ofsuch dimensions that, while the pin h is passing its length and the bedis at rest, the rollers M, M, pass across the whole face of the bed toink the type, and while the bed is going forward to give the impressionand returning, the rollers, M, M, are traversing the distributing table,P, attached to the upper side or edge of the bed, whereby the ink isdistributed. It will be observed that this distributing table movesforward with the bed, while the rollers move in the arc 0f a circle.This necessitates a peculiar form for the distributing table in order toallow the rollers to touch its surface at all points of their motion,without calling into play to a great extent, the elasticity of thesprings m. If the motion of the bed was uniform for a given motion ofthe lever H, then this proper form would be a cycloidal curve, but assuch motion is not regular, but variable, the curve approaches theelliptical form. It is readily.V described by laying out the positionsof the bed and rollers for a number of points in the motion of H, andthrough .the points so obtained drawing ka curve which will be the onerequired.

`The means by which the cards are released after being printed are asfollows: A shaft R is hung on the frame below the platen, and to thisshaft is attached an `adjustable guide T against which the edge of thecard rests while being printed. This guide is pressed against the faceof the platen by a spring t. An arm U is also attached to or formed onthe shaft R, and to its end a link V is jointed by a pin u. At theopposite end of V is formed a notch C as represented. A wide projectionIV extends from the side of the radius rod E in such a position thatwhen the impression is being taken, the notch C falls over its edge, andwhen the bed retires the link V is carried with it, lifting the gage, T,from the face of the platen, and allowing the card to fall into areceptacle beneath. As the bed continues to recede, however, the otherside of the projection, W, strikes the heel of the notch c, as shown inFig. 3, whereby V is released and T is forced back into position by thespring t, ready for the reception of another card.

In operating the press, the pressman takes hold of the lever H, andbrings it into the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby the rollers arepassed across the type, and the latter are inked.V He then drops a cardthrough suitable guides upon the gage T, and depresses the lever H tothe position shown in Fig. l, whereby the rollers are again passedacross the type and over the distributing table, where they receive afresh supply of ink, the bed and type arevforced up against the card,and the impression given. Then, by elevating the lever H, again, thegage T is lifted by the catch. V and projection W, the card released,the type inked, and all the parts are ready for another card. Ink issupplied to the distributing table P, by hand, as required.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. Supporting the vibratingbed, C, upon one or more parallel radius rods, E, E, substantially asVand for the purpose herein described. Y

2. The peculiar form of the distributing table, I), attached to thevibrating bed, C, and arranged relatively to the sweep motion of theinking rollers, M, substantially as herein described, and for thepurpose set forth.

3. Operating the gage, T, to release the printed card, by means of thecatch, V, and tripper, lV, substantially in the manner herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

w. H. BABCCCK.

Witnesses:

WM. H. BURNHAM, S. G. HITCHCOCK.

